Shortly after Adeline Liss was born, her parents, John and Lisa, knew Adeline needed extra support. A friend who needed similar support for their child introduced the family to Belle Children’s Services, where six-month-old Adeline received vital early childhood therapies. Though they would not receive a diagnosis for her rare chromosomal condition until she was…
The St. Louis Arc is excited to partner with Autism Speaks for a Transition to Adulthood Town Hall. On Thursday, August 8 a panel of experts will discuss how to begin planning for your child or teen with autism to transition to adulthood. In addition to local experts, the panel will also include an area…
The St. Louis Arc is excited to introduce Next! Next provides focused, impactful supports for individuals with autism or learning differences. What is Next? Next provides focused, impactful supports for individuals with autism or learning differences. This division of the St. Louis Arc helps individuals navigate what is next in various aspects of their lives….
Transitions can bring feelings of joy, fear, nervousness, or uncertainty. As we transition to a new year, the Arc would like to highlight the ways we support individuals and families during transitional periods of their lives. Children This past fall, the Family Support team welcomed Julie Thompkins in the new role of Family Navigator. In…
At the St. Louis Arc, supporting the whole family is a vital part of our mission. No one understands that more than the Saputo family. Peter and Susan Saputo are quintessential St. Louisans. Born and raised here, they met, married and brought twin boys, Jack and Joe, into the world 18 years ago. Susan states,…
What is Strategic Planning? Strategic planning is a process used by nonprofit agencies, businesses, and organizations, which empowers agencies to review and evaluate programs while planning for the future. The process provides an opportunity to reassess services and ensure that an agency is doing their best to fulfill their mission. Every four years, the St….
At the start of every new year it is important to take a moment and reflect on what you and your family members accomplished last year and to make a plan for what lies ahead. The St. Louis Arc has adapted a yearly “to do list” originally produced by the Arc of Northern Virginia, for…
CONNECTING to Your Community If you stopped into the Rock Hill Trainwreck Saloon on a Friday in early May, you may not have thought it any different than any other Friday. There were people chatting, eating, or watching a game on TV. However, on this particular Friday, 35 people from our Meet Up group were spread…
Often when we discuss “pre-employment training” people tend to think of assisting an individual in learning how to do a job. However, there’s more than that. Once an individual has been awarded a job, the employer might want them to take part in a course like this or they might want to run some background…
How I Felt Before My Autism Diagnosis Recently we came across an article by Thomas Hassell, a contributor to The Mighty, titled “How I Felt Before My Autism Diagnosis”. Thomas shared how he is different now, verses when he was younger. That got us thinking about Arc participants who are transitioning to living independently, many…